Sermons

PhariseesandSinners

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: Luke 18:9(ESV)
Bell curves have generally been my friend. I did pretty well in school . But there were a few subjects that baffled me. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the teacher. One such subject was Physics. Our teacher, Mr. Rogers (seriously), had mantras that he would repeat, but explanation and application seemed to escape him. It was as if we would magically absorb the formulas and their applications merely by the multiplicity of the repetition. So when I received a 60ish score on an exam, I was in a bit of a shock. Until I learned he graded on a curve. And the top of the curve was 70! Grading on a curve is helpful - if you are on the top. But if you are on the bottom, it feels like an unscalable pit.
How do you grade others? Do you give some a pass while looking down your nose at others? How do you grade yourself? Do you get a pass because you are aware of your thoughts, intentions, and actions? Jesus had something to say about how our righteous acts stack up to everyone else. This week, Kevin will be opening up the scripture to us in our series: Parables - Truth hidden in plain sight. I want to encourage you to read Matthew 18 to prepare for his teaching. And why not bring a friend with you. Also, make sure you are introducing yourself to the new friends God is bringing to Hope this season!